Homecoming expected to draw 20,000

A look at the upcoming Beverly Homecoming Festival. For more details, see the special insert in this week's print version of the Citizen.

Dan Mac Alpine

If you goWhat: Beverly Homecoming FestivalWhen: July 27 through Aug. 5

This year’s Homecoming Festival will start with something cold, end with something hot and in between there’ll something for just about everyone.

The festival will kickoff with an ice cream social, July 27, 5:30-8 p.m., at the Church in the Cove — a fundraiser to help pay for the festival’s final event, the fireworks Aug. 5, 9 p.m. at Lynch Park.

After the ice cream social, parents can take the kids to see the movie, “Robots,” at Lynch Park and get right into the heart of the festival that will run from July 27 to Aug. 5.

Organizers expect about 20,000 people to attend or participate in events that cover everything from concerts, to a road race, a tennis and a golf tournament, dances, and, of course, the lobster festival at noon Aug. 1 at Lynch Park.

Perhaps nature will give lobster lovers a break this year after last year when the weather was so hot the water boiled in the sun. So that’s an exaggeration. But temperatures did hit nearly 100 degrees in the shade and the heat kept many people away from one of the festival’s most popular events.

The only major difference in this year’s festival will be with the lip-synch contest. The contest has been moved to Aug. 7, 5:30 p.m. at Lynch Park.

“The three most asked questions I get every year are: ‘When is the lobster fest?’ ‘When are the fireworks?’ And, ‘When is the lip-synch contest?’” said Bob Monahan, president of the board of directors for the Homecoming Festival. “That and the ReMax balloon has become very popular. Tickets for that sell right out.”

The lip-synch contest draws about 600 people.

Overall, a mix of food, fun, arts and cultural events and athletic competitions give the festival a balanced appeal that has something for almost every age and interest.

“The athletic events are part of the whole mix,” said Recreation Department Director Bruce Doig. “Over time, they have taken on a more prominent role. There’s the alumni soccer tournament. The baseball alums are thinking about moving their tournament to Homecoming next year. More people are realizing it’s a good time to do their event and get some exposure. It goes hand-in-hand with everything else as well.”

Of course, all this comes with a price tag, this year just over $30,000 by Monahan’s estimates.

Almost all of that cost is associated with the fireworks

“Every year the cost of the fireworks goes up,” said Monahan. “Everything we do goes to fundraise for the fireworks. It’s not just the fireworks. It’s also the ancillary costs — police, the barge rental.”

So far, fundraising has gone well this year, Monahan said.

“The business community has come through. We did a second mailing and had good response. Adequate sales from the raffle, the ice cream social and the lobster festival should put us in good shape,” Monahan said.